The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body and a key institution of multiparty cooperation and political consultation in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is a Chinese people's patriotic united front organization led by the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The CPPCC was established on September 21, 1949, in Beiping (now Beijing). Its First Plenary Session, held from September 21 to 30, 1949, initially exercised the functions and powers of the legislature, proclaiming the founding of the PRC and adopting a provisional constitution called the Common Program of the CPPCC. This solved the problem of establishing a foundational political structure for the new state. The CPPCC acted as the de facto legislature until its powers were transferred to the National People's Congress (NPC) with the adoption of the 1954 Constitution.
Today, the CPPCC is not a state organ but functions as a top political advisory body without legislative power. Its mechanism involves conducting thorough consultations and discussions on policy decisions before they are made. The NPC, which is the highest organ of state power and the top legislature, then votes on the policy decisions after the consultations are finished. The CPPCC and the NPC hold their annual plenary sessions concurrently, a period collectively known as the "Two Sessions". The CPPCC connects to the NPC and the government, with all three functions unified under the leadership of the CPC. Its members, who include representatives from the CPC, eight non-oppositional democratic parties, and nominally independent members, advise and submit proposals on political and social issues.
The core nature of the CPPCC as a political advisory body and a united front organization has remained the same since the 1954 transfer of legislative power. Recently, the CPPCC has focused on advancing Chinese modernization and contributing to the implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030).